Friday, May 6, 2016

Ream and Run, North Carolina style

We were pleased to get this note from Dr. Schiffern, one of our former UW Medical students, now a shoulder surgeon in North Carolina.

I thought you would like to read this note (see below) I received from one of my patients re: ream and run. While I don't have the extensive experience that you have with it, I think that for the right patient ream and run is a valuable option.

"I would like to thank you and God for enabling an ol' country boy like me to have this modern day type surgery. It has meant alot to me because for approximately three years , I was unable to even lift my hand over my head. I previously had orthoscopic surgery on both shoulders, one in 2006 and one in 2013 , that didn't seem to work out very well. I have worked at a sawmill doing heavy lifting daily for 38 years. I was unable to enjoy my hobbies, especially making Indian artifacts and collecting them. Deer hunting was almost a thing of the past because I could not even hold my rifle up properly with my right shoulder. Now after ream and run surgery and months of vigorous therapy mostly at home and work, I am now back to work at the saw mill moving heavy logs at the age of almost 65 and enjoying deer hunting , fishing, and making Indian artifacts which takes alot of shoulder and arm strength, and enjoying daily life. I am sending these pictures not as a show of strength but to show extending of my shoulders, especially my right shoulder with range of motion and flexibility. I hate I didnt get the boulder picture in, however, the weights of this log picture outweighed the boulder I picked up that you saw in the office."